Enhancing Safety and Transparency Around UAS Operations

Today we're talking about UAS (or drones) and regulatory requirements you need to be tracking

One of the most widespread and prominent threats today is unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) or drones. Three things make this statement true: availability, capability, and permissibility. These three traits characterize UAS and make every sector of government and private industry vulnerable to careless, clueless, and criminal UAS operators.

From 2022-2023, the NFL reported a 92 percent increase in UAS incursions at stadiums, with more than 4,000 violations reported. From business owners and critical infrastructure to law enforcement, physical security and cybersecurity today relies on understanding UAS, leveraging their benefits, and mitigating risk with UAS-specific resilience frameworks.

This edition covers an important topic to help business owners, critical infrastructure, and law enforcement better understand Remote ID, a new Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) UAS regulation. Today we'll discuss how Remote ID can be used to mitigate UAS risk and how to stay compliant with this new FAA regulation in 2024.

What is Remote ID?

Remote ID is a device that broadcasts a “digital license plate” containing information like the UAS or drone's unique serial number and operator location. Law enforcement officials and the general public can access a UAS Remote ID broadcast using a mobile app, allowing for increased transparency and visibility into UAS operations.

Remote ID and Risk Mitigation

Business owners, law enforcement, and critical infrastructure owners and operators across many sectors can use Remote ID to gain insights into local UAS operations.

One of the primary challenges to countering UAS incursions is the lack of information entities have regarding operator intent. Most UAS incursions are caused by careless or clueless operators who are unaware of the dangers their UAS poses. Authorities and organizations using Remote ID can more quickly resolve or address an incident or incursion by locating and communicating with the UAS operator through the Remote ID app, thus often eliminating the need for more targeted intervention.

Remote ID provides a safe off-ramp on the counter-UAS chain of events before taking action to disrupt or destroy a UAS operating in an unauthorized location and potentially posing a threat to people and property. Increased transparency with Remote ID helps ensure legitimate commercial and civil UAS operations are safe. This includes situations like medical supply delivery, disaster response, and public utility inspections.

What’s Coming in 2024?

By March 16, 2024, all UAS operators in the U.S. will have to officially comply with Remote ID requirements. With a six-month extension from the original release date in September 2023, the FAA extended a grace period to UAS operators to ensure compliance with Remote Identification of Unmanned Aircraft System standards. Any UAS between .55 lbs. and 55 lbs. must be Remote ID-compliant.

How Do You Achieve Compliance?

There are two ways to achieve compliance with these new standards:

• Update your firmware to broadcast standard remote identification. Most new UAS models come with Remote ID hardware installed but be sure to confirm this.
• Acquire a broadcast module. Many aftermarket options can be affixed to the UAS to broadcast a Remote ID signal.

What Happens If You Are Not Compliant?

Compliance with Remote ID helps distinguish between UAS operators with malicious intent and those who are considered careless and clueless. The new Remote ID standards outline criminal and civil penalties ranging from fines to loss of licensing for operators who do not achieve compliance.

Year-Long Outlook

Increased transparency and visibility into UAS operations benefit everyone. It helps:

• Filter out users with malicious intent;
• Enable quicker and safer resolution for accidental UAS incursions; and
• Promotes expanded commercial and civil UAS operations that benefit the public.

Organizations, law enforcement, and critical infrastructure owners and operators can use Remote ID to mitigate risk and safely integrate, enhance, and grow their UAS operations in 2024.

For more information, check out the FAA Remote ID Toolkit.

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